When aluminum is in an alkaline state, the aluminum oxide film surrounding aluminum is dissolved and moisture penetrates the exposed aluminum surface, causing corrosion of aluminum. At this time, hydrogen gas is generated and there is a risk of explosion due to the generated hydrogen gas. Aluminum radioactive waste is difficult to permanently dispose of because it does not meet the standards for the acquisition of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste cave disposal facilities currently managed and operated by the Korea Nuclear Environment Corporation. However, because of this risk, it is necessary to study how to safely treat and dispose aluminum waste. In this study, overseas cases were investigated and analyzed to ensure the safety of aluminum waste disposal, and the current status of aluminum radioactive waste generated during decommissioning of the Korea Research Reactor 1&2 and a treatment plan to secure disposal suitability were presented. The process of removing a little remaining oxygen in molten steel during the reduction of iron oxide in the iron refining process is called deoxidation, and a representative material used for deoxidation is aluminum. In the case of metal melting decontamination, which is one of the decontamination processes of radioactive metal waste, a method of treating aluminum waste by using aluminum as a deoxidizer is proposed.

Radioactive iodine-129, a byproduct of nuclear fission in nuclear power plants, presents significant environmental and health risks due to its high solubility in water and volatility. Iodine-129, with its half-life of 1.57×1017 years, necessitates safe management and disposal. Therefore, safely capturing and managing I-129 during spent nuclear fuel reprocessing is of paramount importance. To address these challenges, various glass waste forms containing silver iodide have been developed, such as borosilicate, silver phosphate, silver vanadate, and silver tellurite glasses. These glasses effectively immobilize iodine, but the high cost of silver raises affordability concerns. This study introduces CuI·Cu2O·TeO2 glass waste forms for iodine immobilization, a novel approach. The cost-effectiveness of copper, in contrast to silver, makes it an attractive alternative. The CuI·Cu2O·TeO2 glass waste forms were synthesized with varying CuI content (x) in (1-x)(0.3Cu2O·0.7TeO2) glass matrices. Xray diffraction (XRD) confirmed amorphous structures, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) quantified composition. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy provided insights into structural properties. Durability assessments using a 7-day product consistency test (PCT-A) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) revealed compliance with U.S. glass regulations, making CuI·Cu2O·TeO2 glasses a promising choice for iodine immobilization in radioactive waste.

Recently, as carbon-neutral energy sources become increasingly important worldwide, SMRs (Small Modular Reactors), which offer significantly enhanced safety, versatility, and mobility compared to conventional nuclear reactors, are gaining attention as a viable alternative. SMR generally refers to small modular reactors with a power output of 300 MWe or less. Unlike conventional reactors, SMRs are characterized by an all-in-one design where peripheral systems and equipment are all integrated into the reactor itself, leading to enhanced reliability and durability. Additionally, the nuclear fuel reloading cycle is significantly extended compared to traditional reactors, resulting in a substantial reduction in maintenance difficulty and costs. Researchers have taken note of these characteristics of SMRs, particularly the extended fuel reloading cycle. Therefore, we have initiated the initial design of an ultra-small Micro Modular Reactor with an electricity generation capacity of 10 MWe and a fuel cycle of up to 55 years, with the goal of using it as a propulsion power source for various transportation modes, especially ships. Our design of MMR, called ‘ARA,’ is primarily distinguished by its use of U233 and Th232 fuels instead of conventional UO2 fuel. Due to various features of ‘ARA,’ including different fuel compositions, ARA is predicted to exhibit several characteristic features compared to conventional PWRs. In this study, among these characteristics, we focused on predicting changes in material composition within the fuel rod during the extended cycle operation of high-enriched fuel, rather than short-cycle operation using low-enriched fuel, unlike conventional reactors. The primary goal of this research is to observe the behavior of the composition of the materials used in the fuel cycle of the MMR, which utilizes U233 and Th232 fuels instead of UO2. Considering the difficulties in the spent nuclear fuel disposal process, many different trials were made to minimize the fission products of ARA, which differs from conventional reactors in terms of fuel type, size, and fuel cycle, in relation to waste generation.

Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), commonly known as Holy Basil is a revered herb with a rich history in traditional medicine systems, particularly in Southeast Asia. For its medicinal properties, Tulsi has been regarded as an “Elixir of Life” and has been used to treat various ailments. However, the comprehensive investigation of Tulsi extracts and their potential pharmacological benefits, specifically in relation to antioxidant activity remains limited. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of Tulsi leaf and stem extract using various screening methods. We investigate the antioxidant activity exhibited by the extract using three different methods involved the utilization of the total polyphenol content assay, the ferric reducing power assay and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-14 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. The results revealed that the Tulsi leaf extract (TLE) exhibited significantly higher antioxidant activity when compared to the Tulsi stem extract (TSE) in all the performed assays. The higher content of phenolics in TLE may have contributed to its superior antioxidant activity. The HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) analysis of TLE revealed the presence of eugenol, active compound for several therapeutic properties. These findings provide an understanding of the bioactive compounds present in Tulsi extracts and their potential antioxidant benefits.

In this study, in relation to the demolition of the building as a research reactor, in order to establish a basic design for preparation for relocation and installation of the TRIGA Mark-II, the present conditions such as actual measurements and structural safety were investigated, as well as technologies and cases related to the relocation and installation of cultural properties. Based on this, the basic design for the relocation and installation of cultural assets was established by reviewing the disassembly and transport design of the TRIGA Mark-II and the basic plan for the relocation site. Although the structural safety of the current self-weight of the structure is judged to be reasonable, when lifting the structure, it is necessary to consider a method of lifting the foundation by reinforcing the foundation so that the tensile force can be minimized in the structure. As for the technology to be applied before TRIGA Mark-II, the technology before non-transplacement was confirmed as the most reasonable method in terms of preserving the original form, securing safety, and securing economic feasibility. Among the non-replacement technologies, the methods that can be applied before reactor 1 can be largely classified into three types. The three methods to be reviewed can be largely classified into the traditional rail movement method, the movement method using transport equipment, and the crane movement method. Each required period was calculated from the basic design results, and the modular trailer method was judged to be the most efficient. From the basic design results, the required period for each stage according to the mobile construction method was calculated. Depending on the calculation result, the modular trailer method is judged to be the most efficient. However, the final construction method should be selected according to the detailed design results. Overall, the results obtained through this study suggest that it is possible to create a memorial hall without the previous installation of TRIGA Mark-II if the structure foundation is composed independently of the building foundation after conducting a detailed characteristic investigation on the foundation of the TRIGA Mark-II structure.

When exposed to different types of bacteria in the oral cavity, denture based resins are prone to bacteria attachment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physical, biological, and antimicrobial properties of denture base resins coated with Peony extract (200, 400, and 600 μg/mL). Specifically, the surface properties (microhardness, contact angle, and color change of the coated specimens), cell cytotoxicity (measured using MTT assay), and antimicrobial activity (against S. mutans (Streptococcus mutans) and C. albicans (Candida albicans) using a growth inhibition assay) were evaluated. The polyphenol content was measured using ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrometry. The experimental groups (specimens coated with Peony extract) and a control group (specimens coated without Peony extract) were statistically compared using a one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s post-hoc tests. No statistically significant differences in surface properties or cell cytotoxicity were observed, which demonstrated their biocompatibility. Conversely, a statistically significant difference in antimicrobial activity was observed between the experimental and control groups after 48 h. This confirms the antimicrobial activity of the denture base resin coated with Peony extract and demonstrates that it is a promising dental material for preventing stomatitis.

This study aimed to identify prognostic factors and describe the treatment outcomes of multidrug therapy in dogs with meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown etiology (MUE). A total of 23 dogs diagnosed with MUE were treated with prednisolone in combination with cyclosporine, cytosine arabinoside (CA), leflunomide, and mycophenolate mofetil. Based on the survival time, these dogs were divided into two groups: group A (n = 10), surviving for < 100 days, and group B (n = 13), surviving for > 100 days. Signalment, seizure activity, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis results, and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings were reviewed. Survival studies were conducted to investigate the association of each prognostic factor and treatment with the clinical outcome. There were no significant differences in age, sex, body weight, occurrence of seizures, cell number and protein concentration in the CSF, or location of lesions between groups A and B. Abnormal MR features were more frequently observed in group A than in group B. It was identified that the longest median survival time was administration of multi-drug therapy including CA. In conclusion, abnormal MR features were associated with poor prognosis in dogs with MUE and CA-based multi-drug therapy could be considered the most effective treatment of MUE.

Boric acid-containing B-10 is used in a nuclear reactor as a coolant and absorbs thermal neutrons generated during nuclear fission in the primary circuit. Boron-containing coolant water waste is generated from maintenance, floor drain, decontamination, and reactor letdown flows. There are two options for aqueous solution waste of boric acid. One is recycling and discharge through filtration, ion exchange, and reverse osmosis. The other is immobilization after evaporation and crystallization processes. The dry powder of boric acid waste liquid can be immobilized by cement, polymer, etc. Before the mid-1990s, concentrated boric acid waste was solidified with a cement matrix. To overcome the disadvantage of low waste loading of cement waste form, a method of solidifying with paraffin was adopted. However, paraffin solids were insufficient to be disposed of as final waste. Paraffin is a kind of soft solidified material and has low compressive strength and poor leaching resistance. As a result, it was decided as an unsuitable form for disposal. In KOREA, paraffin waste form was adopted for boric acid waste treatment in the 1990s. A large amount of paraffin waste forms about 20,000 drums (200 l drum) were generated to treat boric acid waste and were stored in nuclear power sites without disposal. In this study, we want to obtain high-purity boric acid waste by oxidizing and decomposing solid paraffin waste form through a boric acid catalytic reaction. In this reaction, paraffin is separated in the form of various by-products, which can then be treated through a liquid waste treatment device or an exhaust gas treatment device. The proper temperature for sample decomposition during the catalytic reaction was set through TGA analysis. Compositions of by-products and residues generated at each stage of the reaction could be analyzed to determine the state during the reaction. Finally, the boric acid waste powder was perfectly separated from paraffin waste form with disposable products through this pyrolysis process.

Korea Research Reactor 1&2 (KRR-1&2), Korea’s first research reactor, began dismantling in 1997. As of 2022, the demolition of general areas such as offices has been completed, and contaminated areas such as reactor rooms remain. On the other hand, construction waste generated in contaminated areas of nuclear facilities cannot be disposed of as general industrial waste. It is predicted that about 5,000 tons of construction waste will be generated if the contaminated area of KRR-1&2 is demolished. In this study, the application plan for the demolition of contaminated area of KRR-1&2 was reviewed through a review of laws and cases related to domestic and overseas disposal. The only method for disposing of construction waste in contaminated areas that can be applied in Korea is clearance in accordance with Nuclear Safety Commission Notice No. 2020-06. In addition, there has been no case of demolishing large-scale nuclear facilities in Korea. Therefore, there are limitations in domestic laws and standards to be applied to the dismantling of contaminated areas of KRR-1&2. The IAEA and the United States specify comprehensive matters such as optimization of radiation protection and minimization of waste products. The EU recommends demolition after decontamination by removing contaminated areas before demolition of buildings. It also presents three options for reuse, recycling, and disposal of buildings and building waste. In particular, in the case of Germany, detailed radioactivity measurement methods for deregulation of buildings and building waste are presented in accordance with the EU’s guidelines. As a result of synthesizing this, it is judged that the EU and Germany building clearance plan will be suitable for domestic application.

This study explores multiple variables of an OTT service for discovering hidden relationship between rating and the other variables of each successful and failed content, respectively. In order to extract key variables that are strongly correlated to the rating across the contents, this work analyzes 170 Netflix original dramas and 419 movies. These contents are classified as success and failure by using the rating site IMDb, respectively. The correlation between the contents, which are classified via rating, and variables such as violence, lewdness and running time are analyzed to determine whether a certain variable appears or not in each successful and failure content. This study employs a regression analysis to discover correlations across the variables as a main analysis method. Since the correlation between independent variables should be low, check multicollinearity and select the variable. Cook's distance is used to detect and remove outliers. To improve the accuracy of the model, a variable selection based on AIC(Akaike Information Criterion) is performed. Finally, the basic assumptions of regression analysis are identified by residual diagnosis and Dubin Watson test. According to the whole analysis process, it is concluded that the more director awards exist and the less immatatable tend to be successful in movies. On the contrary, lower fear tend to be failure in movies. In case of dramas, there are close correlations between failure dramas and lower violence, higher fear, higher drugs.

확산강조 영상은 자기공명영상에서 진단에 매우 중요한 역할을 차지하고 있다. 또한, 높은 b-value를 요구하는 검사가 늘어나는 추세로 확산강조 영상을 얻기 위하여 검사 시간이 길어지게 되며 인공물과 전체적인 신호 감소가 동반하게 된다. 본 연구에서는 확산강조 영상에서 확산 방법을 3스캔 추적 확산강조 영상(3-scan trace diffusion weighted image, tDWI) 에서 DTI의 원리를 적용한 대각선 확산강조 영상(diagonal diffusion weighted image, dDWI)로 변경하여 획득 하였을 때, 두 방법 간의 검사 시간의 단축과 영상을 비교 평가하였다. 농도가 0에서 50%까지 10% 간격인 팬텀을 제작하여 제한된 확산(restrict diffusion)을 단발 스핀에코평면영상(single shot spin echo echo planar, SE-EPI) 기법을 사용하여 검사하였다. 확산 방법을 변경하며 tDWI와 dDWI 검사를 진행하였으며, 획득한 영상을 Image J 프로그램을 이용 하여 농도별 동일한 관심 체적을 설정하여 신호를 측정 후 분석방법은 독립 T-test를 이용하고, 통계적 분석은 SAS를 통해 신호 대 잡음 비와 대조도 대 잡음 비를 비교·분석하였다. p-value 0.05를 기준으로 유의성을 검증하였다. b0를 제외한 b100 이상은 전반적으로 신호 대 잡음 비, 대조도 대 잡음 비가 크며, p-value 0.05 이상으로 나타났다. 확산 방법 간 유의하지 않지만, 전반적으로 dDWI이 tDWI에 비해 평균이 높았다. dDWI 방법이 tDWI에 비해 화질의 변화 없이 검사 시간이 18.35% 단축되는 효과가 있으며, 신호 대 잡음 비와 대조도 대 잡음 비가 소폭 향상된 것으로 나타나 다른 부위의 확산강조 영상을 사용하는 검사에 적용 시 유용할 것으로 사료 된다.

이탈리안벌인 A, C, F계통과 코카시안벌인 D, V계통을 2005년부터 2007년까지 국내에서 수집하였다. 수집한 계통은 육종을 위해 격리 된 섬에서 근친교배를 통해 순계로 분리하였다. 이 연구는 꿀, 로열젤리 다수확계통 선발에 있어 개체군 선발과 육종 효율을 높이기 위해 수행되 었다. 23 개의 형태학적 특성을 평가하고 두 아종의 기존 데이터와 비교한 결과, 이탈리안벌 순계계통은 코카시안벌 순계 계통과 달리8개의 특성이 기존의 이탈리안벌과 유사해 더 많은 특성이 보존되고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 또한 국내에서 유지되고 있는 순계들은 타 지역의 동일 계통과 차 이를 보여 분리된 순계의 형태적인 특징이 확인되었다.

Aquaporin channels (AQPs) are known to play an important role in the development of ovarian follicles through their function in water transport pathways. Compared to other AQPs, research on the role of AQP4 in female reproductive physiology, particularly in cattle, remains limited. In our previous study, gene chip microarray data showed a downregulation of AQP4 in bovine cystic follicles. This study was performed to validate the AQP4 expression level at the protein level in bovine follicles using immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and immunoprecipitation assays. Immunostaining data showed that AQP4 was expressed in granulosa and theca cells of bovine ovarian follicles. The ovarian follicles were classified according to size as small (< 10 mm) or large (> 25 mm) in diameter. Consistent with earlier microarray data, semi-quantitative PCR data showed a decrease in AQP4 mRNA expression in large follicles. Western blot analysis showed a downregulation of the AQP4 protein in large follicles. In addition, AQP4 was immunoprecipitated and blotted with anti-AQP4 antibody in small and large follicles. Accordingly, AQP4 exhibited a low expression in large follicles. These results show that AQP4 is downregulated in bovine ovarian large follicles, suggesting that the downregulation of AQP4 expression may interfere with follicular water transport, leading to bovine follicular cysts.